Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Flawless Investment (4)
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A hollow laugh escaped me.
I'd long known that the Preton family was moving in secret.
'...This is a story about them wiping out an entire family.'
If my memory served right, orihalcon could be obtained from mainly three places.
Tower 11th Floor and 18th Floor.
And one mine located in the western part of the kingdom. That was it, just those three spots total.
'Orihalcon isn't abundant, so it's expensive... but sometimes it was better to buy it from the mine than go all the way to the 18th Floor.'
That inevitably involved dealing with the Preton's Delbah family.
They were one of the businesses the Pretons used to cultivate influence as the shadows of the kingdom.
Apparently, it had originally belonged to the Peresians.
It wasn't covered in DAT, so I hadn't known.
'I never had a reason to meet Merian either. The Pretons only proposed a deal after they had the mine fully in their grasp.'
That timing wasn't all that slow either. In about a month, the mine would become Preton property.
I remembered the bait about the mine starting to circulate around then.
"It's valuable stuff, I hear. Of course, it doesn't produce a ton, so I can't give you much..."
"......"
"I can give you about a fistful... probably."
Judging by Merian's reaction, it seemed genuine.
She was truly offering the best item she could put on the table as a trade condition.
If that was a lie, she belonged in a theater, not the Tower.
Then the greatest acting star in DAT history would be born, one who could shut the family up about all the slander from her uncle.
'To sum it up: the Peresians are the current owners of that mine, and the Pretons are working to take it from them.'
Now it made sense. On the day I first met Preton, Merian had been there too.
I'd been a bit puzzled by how sharply Preton had looked at her.
...Now that gaze finally had an explanation.
'Merian was nothing more than prey to him.'
For such a being to meet Regin first, of course his eyes couldn't look kindly.
He must have already been thinking of using Regin as a letter courier back then.
"...That won't work?"
"......"
My mind raced.
Blood rushed to my head in an instant, making my face heat up.
'If Preton's goal is to kill Merian, that's a problem for me too.'
The reason I'd had leverage in the deal with Preton was that Regin's existence was necessary to him.
But the issue was that it wasn't irreplaceable.
It was perfect for avoiding the eyes of other families or the kingdom, but there was no guarantee another suitable person couldn't be found.
If something got in the way of his operation like this, the scales of the deal could tip.
"Merian."
"Yeah?"
After long deliberation, Regin continued.
"I'll escort you to the 5th Floor. In exchange, once we're out, you need to have the amount of orihalcon I mentioned ready."
"Got it. I promise that much."
"And this next part is important. Remember it well."
From here on, it was a timing game.
Regin spoke, factoring in delays as variables on top of his own plan.
"Don't leave right away when we reach the 5th Floor."
"Then?"
"27 days. You must wait exactly 27 days before leaving this Tower. That's the only way you'll survive."
That way, Regin's position wouldn't be compromised either.
* * *
"Orihalcon ore comes out?"
"Yes."
About an hour later, Greg and Seria arrived one after another.
Regin, who had been resting under a massive tree, told them about Merian.
"And as a reward, we're getting a fist-sized chunk of orihalcon."
"A fist!? That's enough to make your wand..."
Shh.
Regin put a finger to his lips and looked at Greg.
"...No way. Yeah. What can you do with that tiny speck? Haha...!"
Greg awkwardly changed his words, glancing at Regin.
Fortunately, Merian wasn't relaxed enough to pick up on it.
And Seria genuinely didn't know orihalcon's value, so no need to act for her.
"Thanks, everyone. Take good care of me up to the 5th Floor."
And so, one more person joined the trip to the 5th Floor.
'Feels familiar.'
Regin chuckled softly, recalling old memories.
This kind of thing wasn't rare.
Quests to protect nobles or specific people were more common than you'd think.
'Sometimes called escort missions. The reward here is pretty generous too.'
There'd be risks, but that was something to worry about after leaving the Tower.
For now, focus on the orihalcon ore.
With a blacksmith who could work it right beside Regin, the reward's value was far from low.
"Alright, let's move out right away. Our goal was to pass through quickly and head up anyway."
No reason to hesitate once the decision was made.
The plan from the kingdom hadn't changed either.
The aim was to skip through the first four floors as fast as possible.
Crunch!
They moved swiftly.
On the 1st Floor, Greg shone.
Every goblin that appeared had its skull smashed by his axe.
Slash!
From the 2nd Floor, swift goblin riders appeared, but Seria's daggers severed all their necks.
They were perfect practice for her to get used to the new dagger too.
'The 3rd Floor's the same. Easy for me to handle goblin mages.'
Naturally, Regin took the 3rd Floor.
Even though goblin mages came in waves on the 3rd Floor, low-grade scrolls could suppress them.
"...4th Floor."
Two days after entering the portal.
Regin reached the 4th Floor faster than ever before.
'First expedition doesn't count—we did a hidden stage on the 1st Floor with Manan. Compare to the second one.'
That time, one day on the 1st, three days total on the 2nd and 3rd—four days needed to reach this dim 4th